Masai Cattle Market

After our first week in Tanzania, we enjoyed our first day of free time. Many of us slept in, since our driver was not due to arrive until 8:30.

Bishop Mameo journeyed with us to the Masai Cattle Auction today. On the way we stopped at Sokoine Ranch, a Masai village where the team has worshiped several times over the past 9 years. The village chairman and his family welcomed us warmly and chairs were gathered in a circle under the shade of the local meeting trees. In Masai culture, guests must always be given something to eat and today was no exception. The team of fourteen, plus our driver and his helper, the Bishop and several of his family, and our translator, were given a delicious breakfast of chai, chapatti, Masai donuts (no sugar), beef soup and soda. As Bishop visited with the men, the team faded away from the circle and mingled with the village women and girls. The young women were full of curiosity about us and our families—how many children do we have? What are their names?—and we were able to communicate because many of them have been educated and learned English in school. We were shown around the village, to the church, to the pond where clothes are washed and the animals drink, and lively conversation flowed both ways.

When the time came to continue on to the cattle auction, five or six of the women, all about 18-20 years old, loaded into the dala dala with us. That meant that our party of 14 would have many translators available. And having a Masai translator is very important because the majority of Masai speak Masai, not Swahili.

The Cattle Auction is just what it says—a chance for buyers and sellers of cattle, goats and sheep to come together and barter their livestock. But it is also a very social gathering for the Masai. People from many different villages enjoy this chance to socialize and trade other goods. The warriors dress their hair in elaborate styles with masses of braids cascading down their back. It is a time for everyone to display their most elaborate finery. There are also Masai vendors that set up with various wares you can buy—Masai machetes and clubs, fabric used for Masai mens robes, ropes, gadgets and so much more. The team had fun drifting from one vendor to another, using our translators to help us bargain for the best price. It is still unusual to see white skin at the auction—we were the only Caucasian group—and many different people came up to greet us and wish us welcome to Tanzania.

Once our shopping was done, we joined Bishop Mameo, who was sitting under an open air thatched roof canopy with many Masai gathered around him. Again a circle was made with chairs and we were treated to fresh roasted beef, sliced in front of us by two very skilled Masai using a machete. We dipped the chunks of meat in salt and ate them with our fingers.

After the cattle market, a little fabric shopping was on our agenda and the team had about an hour to spend in downtown Morogoro. We were all happy with our purchases and arrived back at LJS with about a half an hour to relax before dinner. Sunday will see the team back in a Masai village for worship so we hope to post more pictures tomorrow, time and internet willing!